Paper clips or fasteners



Oct. 30, 1956 J. F. M MULLEN PAPER CLIPS OR FASTENERS Filed May 6, 1955 INVENTOR. JAMES E M9. MULLEN PAR 8-CARTER AT RNEYS United States Patent O PAPER CLIPS OR FASTENERS James F. McMullen, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

Application May 6, 1955', Serial No. 506,611

3 Claims. (CI. 24-66) My invention relates to paper clips or fasteners and more particularly to clips or fasteners for retaining the edges of one or more sheets of paper.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and cfficient device for the purpose described which will not tangle with other fasteners of the same kind.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is flat, compact and will occupy a minimum amount of space in a container.

A further object of my invention is to provide a paper clip Which Will permit the separation of various groups of sheets and retain them in desired sequence.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the art that a conventional metal paper clip, which is usually constructed of wire or the like, causes the individual pieces to tangle with one another, and usually is adapted to retain only a single group of sheets in position.

The device as described herein may be constructed of sheet plastic, sheet metal, impregnated paper or the like, and may be cut or scored from sheet stock with a single stamping operation, whereas wire clips require winding or forming fixtures and an operation far more costly than a conventional stamping or scoring operation.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawing, in Which:

Figure 1 shows the device stamped out of a single flat sheet, rectangular in shape, with square corners.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the device as shown in Figure 1 but having an identifying tab integral with one of its outer edges.

Figure 3 is a device as shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the tab construction, having rounded corners.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the device taken at the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view of the device as shown in Figure 1 showing how papers may be clamped into the device and held at the top score thereof.

Figure 6 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 5 but in which the papers are held at the second scoring from the top.

Figure 7 is a view of the device in which the papers are held in the third scoring, and

Figure 8 is a view of the device in which the single fastener retains several groups of sheets, separated from one another in different scores.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, 10 indicates a flat piece of sheet material constituting the body of the device. The material used may be of plastic, thin sheet metal, impregnated paper, or the like. The body 10 is formed with a continuous cut or scoring 11 which is of con- 2,768,416 Patented Oct. 30, 1956 stantly decreasing distance from the outer edge, and which for convenience may be described hereinafter as of a modified or rectangular spiral form. A

The outer end 14 of the scoring may be open, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 to 8, or eliminated as shown at 14 a in Figure 3. The distance between the adjacent scoriugs is preferably approximately uniform, as shown, so as to form a continuous strip of substantially uniform Width, but with a series of substantially straight lengths parallel with the edges of the body, but at successively diminishing distances from the center of the body, so that papers may be selectively retained between any one of several sections of the fiat body.

In Figures 2 and 3, an identification tab 15 is made integrally with one edge of the body. Obviously there may be one or more of these tabs, depending upon the use to which the device is to be placed. It is also possible to round all the corners of the body as shown at 16 in Figure 3, and make the scoring along corresponding rounded lines, as shown in this figure.

The body 1i) of the device is made of such resilient material that it exerts a spring action for retaining the various sheets of paper in contact with one another, and will return to its normal flat shape when not in use.

In Figure 5 is shown how sheets of paper 17 may be held by inserting them in the top scoring A, whereas in Figure 6 they are inserted in the second scoring from the top, shown as B. In Figure 7 the papers are inserted in the third scoring C. This indicates how the device is adapted for selective insertion in any one of the successive sccrings as desired.

Figure 8 shows how several groups of papers may be separated from each other. The one group 17 is retained at the scoring A, another group 17' at the scoring B, and the third group 17" at the scoring C.

It will become manifest that my novel form of paper fastener will lie flat at all times, will not tangle with other fasteners of a similar kind while in the container from which they are taken, and will take up very little space in the files, being substantially flat when in use.

Although I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that I do not Wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A paper clip comprising a flat body of resilient material, scored along a generally spiral line from adjacent the outer edge to the centrally disposed inner point, said scoring forming the material in a continuous strip of approximately uniform width with a plurality of substantially straight sections parallel with the edges of the body, and selectively yieldable from said fiat body at various distances from one of its outer edges.

2. A paper clip in accordance with claim 1, wherein one edge of the body is formed with an integral outwardly widened identification tab.

3. A paper clip in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outer end of the scoring terminates short of the outer edge of the body to provide the body with an unbroken marginal edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,047,129 Randall July 7, 1936 2,116,147 Haessler May 3, 1938 

